Douglas Sickler Gets 63 Months for Armed Bank Heist

Douglas Sickler, 38, of Hanover Township, Pennsylvania, is headed to federal prison for 63 months after robbing a PNC Bank in Avoca with a pellet gun. The sentence, handed down April 25, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Robert D. Mariani, includes three years of supervised release and a restitution order of $909 to the victim institution.

The heist went down on June 21, 2017, when Sickler and co-defendant Shawn Cavanaugh stormed the Avoca branch, brandishing pellet guns and demanding cash. Though the weapons weren’t firearms, federal prosecutors treated the incident as an armed robbery due to their realistic appearance and the threat they posed. Both men were apprehended the following day, June 22, 2017, and have been in custody ever since.

Sickler pleaded guilty to the armed bank robbery charge on September 14, 2017, nearly a year and a half before sentencing. His cooperation or legal strategy did not sway the court from imposing the 63-month prison term. Judge Mariani also mandated that Sickler pay full restitution—$909—for the losses incurred during the robbery.

Shawn Cavanaugh, the second man in the duo, has also pleaded guilty but remains awaiting sentencing. Details on his role and potential penalties were not disclosed, but his case remains active in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Federal authorities are treating both convictions as wins in a broader push against violent street crime.

The FBI and Kingston Police Department led the investigation, moving swiftly from the crime scene to arrests within 24 hours. Their collaboration exemplifies the interagency coordination emphasized under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Justice Department’s nationwide initiative reinvigorated in 2017 to combat violent crime through joint federal, state, and local enforcement.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phillip J. Caraballo and Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case, underscoring the federal government’s zero-tolerance stance on bank robbery. The Middle District of Pennsylvania, led by U.S. Attorney David J. Freed, continues to prioritize violent offenders under PSN, sending a clear message: armed robbery carries a steep price.